The Beautiful Woman In Black
by Lostgirl-Freebird
Summary: 1940's AU Noir fic. Brittany is a PI on the trail of notorious gang leader Puckerman, but what happens when she meets and falls for his sexy jazz singer girlfriend Santana? One-shot


I walk into the dimly lit, smoky bar, feeling a little self conscious. I've never entered any of the bars on this side of town before, but I've been working on a big case, trying to dig some dirt on Lima's notorious gang leader, Noah Puckerman, and I know that this is a joint he and his cronies like to chill in. It doesn't take me long to realise why they like it here. It's full of rich snobs, booze and pretty ladies, what's not to like. I make my way to the bar, trying my best to blend in. As I sit myself on one of the high bar stools, the bar man makes his way over to me.

'Hey there pretty lady, what can I get'cha?' he asks, his voice silky smooth.

'I'll take a scotch on the rocks' I reply dryly. I don't pay him much attention, sure he' good looking with his blonde hair swept into a slick side parting and his smart shirt and bow tie, but I'm there on a strictly professional basis. I quickly scan the room, looking for any signs of Puckerman and his henchmen. My attention gets distracted as the barman shoves a drink in front of me.

'Thanks'

'No problem. The name's Sam' he says, offering me his hand.

'Brittany Pierce' I reply, shaking his hand firmly.

'So, what brings you to this part of town?' he asks bluntly. I can tell that the man has no shame, and is clearly used to 'foreign' visitors amongst the regulars.

'Ya know, a bit of this, a bit of that' I reply, shrugging off the question. It doesn't go unnoticed to me though, that this man could be a reliable source of information. After all, he is a bartender, and I've been doing my job long enough to know what sort of people will have the right information, and bartenders are like a goldmine. I sit there quietly, trying to think of a way to bring Puckerman into the conversation without drawing too much attention to myself, when suddenly the door bursts open. I turn in my seat to see Puckerman walk in, followed by Hudson and Chang. They all look the business in their black suits and slicked back hair. Hudson and Chang each have a gorgeous girl hanging off their arms. Hudson with a pretty blonde, Chang with a stunning Asian woman. Both girl's are dolled up to the nines, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that they're trophy girls. They'll soon be replaced for 'younger models' when their looks begin to fade. Puckerman saunters into the bar with an air of importance, making his way though to the centre of the bar. He reaches a large table that is sat directly in front of the stage and stops, looking down at the group of men who are sat around it.

'Move' he says firmly. The four men quickly grab their drinks and scarper, allowing Puckerman and his posse to sit at the table. I realise that this is the perfect chance to engage the barman in conversation.

'What's his deal?' she asks. Sam looks at the woman, clearly happy to have been acknowledged by the pretty blonde sat at the bar.

'That's Puck, he's um…kinda the boss around here. He comes in every night to see his girl perform' Sam replies, wiping the inside of a glass with a cloth.

'His girl?' I ask surprised. I had heard that Puckerman liked his ladies, but I wasn't aware of there being 'a girl' in general.

'Yeah, Santana. She's pretty famous 'round these parts. Not only is she a looker, but she's got this voice that…it just goes right through you…I can't explain it. You'll see for yourself soon enough'

'Sounds like you got the hots for Miss Santana' I probe curiously.

'Me? Nah, I um…I got my eye on someone else' Sam mumbles. I notice the slight tinge of pink that reaches his cheeks, and follows his eyeline over to Puckerman's table.

'Ahhh, you got the hot's for blondie!' I state matter-of-factly. I cant help but giggle at the look of sheer horror on Sam's face.

'It's ok, you're secret's safe with me Sam' I reassure the young barman. Before Sam can reply, the lights in the bar get even dimmer, and a voice booms out from the stage.

'Ladies and Gentleman, please put you're hands together for McKinley Lounge's very own celebrity, the sultry Santana Lopez!' The crowd begins to whoop and cheer as the older man makes his way off the stage. The lights go off for a few seconds before being replaced by a single spotlight. I hear her before I see her. Her husky voice reverberating though the bar. I quickly understand what Sam was talking about when he said that the woman's voice goes straight through you. It's hard to describe, but I know instantly that I've never heard anything so beautiful in my entire life, and I'll probably never hear anything like it again. It's not until the light's come up a little that I notice how gorgeous the woman is. Her raven coloured hair glistens in the light as it formed soft waves around the woman's tanned face, complimenting her dark eyes. Her black dress pulls her in, in all the right places, accenting her curves beautifully, the slight ruffle of lace along the upper hem, drawing attention to the woman's firm, round breasts. I hear someone clear their throat, snapping me out of my daze. I turn to find Sam standing there watching me, a slight smirk on his face. It's only then that I realise that I've been staring at this woman, completely engrossed by her physical beauty.

'I told ya, she's really something' Sam says knowingly. I turn back to look at the singer, my eyes and ears being induced in the pleasurable sound that is passing through those full red lips. It's as if this woman's a siren, and she's drawing me in with her smooth voice and her exotic looks. I hear the last note echo around the bar, lingering for a few seconds, as if to tease the audience, before an eruption of cheers and clapping breaks it off.

'Um…Sam…I need to ask you for a small favour' I say, turning back to the barman. I realise I'm stumbling over my words a little, it's hard to talk right now, but I have to get this out before it's too late.

'Okay…'Sam replies skeptically.

'I need to speak with Santana. You think you can point me in the right direction?' I ask, ensuring to keep my voice hushed. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing. All I know is I need to get that woman alone, and I need to do it now. Sam seems like a decent enough guy, and I'm almost certain that this little favour wont be getting back to Puckerman anytime soon. Sam gives a small nod, placing the glass he was holding down on the bar.

'I don't know…' he answers unsurely, 'It's just…if Puckerman ever found out, I'd be dead meat, and plus…I don't even know you. You could be some crazy ass psycho for all I know'

'Look at me' I giggle, 'do I really look like I'm gunna hurt anyone?' Sam cocks his head to the side slightly as if to tell me that I do infact look harmless. 'Besides, I cant be anywhere near as psycho as Puckerman' I finish, hoping this would be enough to get the blonde haired man to lead me to the singer. Sam looks at me, his face deep in thought, as though he's weighing up his options.

'Come with me' he eventually says in a low voice. He makes his way to the end of the bar, lifting the flap so I can enter. He places it back down gently before leading me through a door to the left. He leads me through the back room, surrounded by bottles of spirits and fine wines before he opens another door. This door leads to a brightly lit corridor. We make our way down it before Sam stops outside a door. He knocks firmly three times before the sound of the woman's voice answers, granting Sam permission to enter.

'Miss Lopez, as always, you were outstanding tonight' Sam addresses Santana.

'Thanks Sam' She replies, flashing him a grateful smile. I cant help but notice how the smile reaches her eyes, causing them to twinkle. She obviously has a soft spot for the timid barman.

'Let me introduce you to Miss Pierce' Sam says cheerfully, motioning a hand in my direction.

'Hi Miss Pierce, such a pleasure to meet you' she says, flashing me that same radiant smile, and for the first time in my life, I'm completely speechless. It's as though this woman has magical powers or something.

'H-hi' I manage to stutter, flashing her, what I'm sure is, an awkward smile.

'Would you like a post-performance beverage Miss Lopez?' Sam asks her, sending a sneaky wink in my direction. I make a mental note to thank him later for saving me from looking like a mental person.

'Sam, how many times have I told you to call me Santana' the woman reprimands the barman light heartedly. 'And yes, a drink would be lovely thank you, the usual please' she answers before turning to her mirror and begins to check herself out in her reflection. Sam flashes me a smile before leaving the room, causing the room to fall into silence. Suddenly the atmosphere seems so much more tense. I have no idea what to do with myself, and I have to keep mentally reminding myself not to stare at this gorgeous woman in front of me.

'So Miss Pierce…' she begins, looking up at me through the mirror's reflection.

'Please, call me Brittany' I interrupt her, only to get met by that dazzling smile again.

'Brittany' she continues, sending a shiver up my spine, 'what is it that you do?' she asks in that husky voice.

'I um…work for the government' I state the well rehearsed story, not necessarily a lie, but still covers my identity well enough. She raises her eyebrows slightly and a those gorgeous full lips, now clean from the red lipstick they were covered in before, form into a slight smirk, clearly impressed by my response. She turns away from the mirror and rises from her chair, slowly making her way towards me. I notice the way she rolls her hips seductively as she moves, walking confidently in bare foot, the sky scraper heels that she had worn on stage had clearly been carelessly kicked off into a corner of the room as soon as she reached her dressing room. My breath hitches in my throat and my heart begins to pound against my chest as she get's closer and closer to me. She doesn't stop until she's merely inches from me. I look down at the shorter girl and realise she's so close that can see my reflection in those deep brown eyes.

'What is it you do for the government Brittany?' she asks as she lightly traces her middle and index fingers up the inside of my forearm, slowly trailing all the way from my wrist to the crease of my elbow. I gulp loudly causing her to smirk more fully, knowing my façade is falling. I try to get my stories sorted straight in my head, but she knocks me off guard with that sexy smirk of hers.

'I'm a detective' I blurt out before silently chastising myself for being so easy to break.

'I see' she replies. She doesn't seem to be put off by this news though, in fact, quite the opposite. She seems positively thrilled by having a detective in her dressing room.

'So you're the detective who's trying to bust Noah' she states knowingly. I brace myself for the show down that I'm sure is about to commence. I'm sure that Puckerman is going to enter, posse in toe, ready to blow my brains out for even daring an attempt at foiling their gang. However this wait is pointless, because it never happens. Instead, Santana inches her face closer to mine, veering it slightly round to the left of my face.

'I never thought you'd be this hot' she breathes into my ear. Suddenly I can feel all moisture rushing from my mouth, and settling in a place much further south. Santana pulls back and giggles in amusement at the effect she's had on me before leaning back in and capturing her lips in mine. It takes me a few seconds to respond as my body is stuck in a state of shock at the woman's forward attitude. I begin to respond, and she praises me by gently pushing her tongue between my lips. I open my mouth wider, allowing her tongue access, which she gratefully accepts, exploring each and every crevice of my mouth with the highly capable muscle. She moans into my mouth and I feel it vibrate across the roof of my mouth, causing a shiver to run down my spine. I grip my arms around Santana's tiny waist, causing her to respond by throwing her arms around my neck, knocking my hat from my head in the process, and grip tightly. Our kisses become more hungry and the throbbing between my legs becomes more intense and almost unbearable. I wrap my arms around her even tighter and lift her from the floor. She wraps her legs tightly around my waist as I move over to the counter and gently prop her on top of the cool surface. She loosens her arms around my neck and runs her hands down my neck, across to my shoulders and down my chest. Her touch lingers as her hands reach my breasts, before she proceeds to move to the buttons of my coat, her nimble fingers quickly unfastening the buttons. Once she has successfully unbuttoned the long black coat, her hands return to my shoulders and she hastily pushes the jacket from my shoulders, gripping the lapels with force. She finally drops her legs from my waist, dangling them freely beside me, allowing the coat to fall to the floor. She moves her mouth from mine and begins placing small open mouthed kisses along my jaw and down to my neck. A throaty moan escapes my lips as she sucks on my pulse point and gently nips my ear lobe. I move my hands, which are still firmly placed on her hips, to her knees, before lightly running my full palms up her thighs, the black satin gathering at my wrists as I inch my way closer to her centre. She freezes at my touch, her kisses haltering as she grips my wrist with a firm hand, stopping my hand from going any further. She looks up at me through dark lashes, her brown eyes flashing a mixture of fear and want.

'I'm sorry' I pant, trying desperately to catch my breathe, my heart threatening to burst from my chest. I can't believe the effect this woman has had on me after only having met her all of 20 minutes ago. It only just occurs to me that this woman has tempted her fate with another woman, with me, not knowing if I too follow a forbidden lifestyle. She didn't seem to care that I may reject her, disgusted by what she was suggesting. I feet the heat rise to my cheeks as they flush pink in embarrassment that I'd let myself lose control with this beautiful stranger. She shakes her head lightly, letting a quiet giggle fall from her lips, which were slightly puffy from the kissing. Her tongue quickly darts out of her mouth, wetting both her top and bottom lip in a single sweep before she releases my wrist. I don't even dare to move my hand, instead I remain frozen in place, anticipating her next move. She moves her hands back to my neck and loosens my tie, pulling the knot undone in one fell swoop and ripping it from my neck. I feel the goose bumps prickle my skin as she runs her palms down my chest and stomach, stopping at my waist, where she undoes my belt and the buttons to my trousers. She gives me one final glance before her lips form that sexy smirk again, and she thrusts her hands down the front of my trousers, cupping my core through my soaked knickers, gasping at how damp I am. Any thoughts of doubt I may have had previously, are unceremoniously thrown from my mind in this instant, and I return her action by moving my hand the last few inches and cupping her centre through her lace knickers, my other free hand wrapping around her neck, pulling her into a hungry, open mouthed kiss. I feel my body jerk as she swipes my clit with her thumb through the thin cotton barrier, causing me to moan into her mouth. I'm suddenly pulled back to reality by the banging of a door, followed by an angry voice.

'What the fuck is this!' I hear. I quickly pull apart from Santana, removing my hand from between her legs, and her doing the same from my trousers, to find Puckerman standing in the door way, his face red with anger. I back away from Santana, fearing her reaction. I know what women can be like when they're caught having sexual liaisons with other women, and it's understandable really, what with the way society portrays that behaviour. It's wrong, we're fed that our whole lives, and though I never understood how loving someone could be wrong, I understand how some women find it easier to just go through the 'correct' motions of life. Puckerman hatily makes his way to Santana, pulling her from the counter, noting how her skirt barely covers her arse and her hair is sticking out in all directions.

'Noah' Santana gasps in shock. I can see the fear flood her eyes, and it takes all my strength to keep from wrapping her into a hug and telling her everything will be ok. 'I'm-' she starts.

'Shut it you stupid whore' he cuts her off with a growl, followed by a hard backhanded slap to the face. I'm just about to defend the woman when he wheels round to face me. 'Well well, Inspector Pierce. What a pleasant surprise' he greets mockingly.

'Puckerman' I say curtly, keeping one trained eye on the Latina woman standing timidly at his side, clutching her red cheek with both hands. I get ready to whip my pistol from my jacket, knowing that I'll probably need it. I'm no fool, Puckerman doesn't go anywhere unarmed, and I don't plan on allowing him to use his pistol on me or Santana.

'What was you doing with my woman?' he growls again. I suddenly feel a surge of smug confidence rise inside me at the thought of stealing Puckerman's woman.

'Obviously something she doesn't get from you' I reply smugly. I'm half kicking myself inside right now, knowing that that sentence could very well be the last to leave my mouth. Puckerman lets out an animal-like groan and whips his pistol from the inside of his jacket. I grab mine almost simultaneously, and now we're looking down the barrels of each other's pistols.

'Noah, put the gun away!' Santana begs. We both look at her as she grasps our attention, both of us having clearly forgotten the woman's presence, something only a few moments ago, I hadn't deemed possible.

'Shut the fuck up bitch! I don't wanna hear anything that comes out of your mouth. You disgust me!' he yells at her, his face shaking with anger. He makes his way over to her and grabs her by the arm. She screams as he pulls her into him so that her back is flush against his chest, placing the gun to her head. I hastily start to make my way to her.

'Move and I'll shoot' he warns me firmly. I freeze in position, not faltering my stance, gun still raised in the air. We stare each other down, each trying to anticipate the other's next move. It feels like we're staring for a lifetime before I hear the sound. The crack of the gun rips through the room and it takes me a second to realise where it's come from. It definitely wasn't me, and Puckerman hasn't moved his trigger finger. Suddenly his eyes go blank and his grip on Santana losens. I turn to my left to find Sam standing there with a large pistol in the air. Santana quickly moves away from Puckerman, who is now lying in a heap on the floor, clutching his side desperately, and I pull her into my arms, reassuring her that she's safe, placing a chaste kiss to her temple as she hides her face in my chest. I watch as the colour drains from Puckerman's face, and the claret stain on the cream carpet increases quickly. He silently pleads me with his eyes before they turn glassy, his movements falling to a still. I know that this isn't the end though, his cronies will be wondering where he is, and when they find Puckerman dead, they'll come after me, Sam and Santana. I look down at the tiny woman, who is still burying her face in my breast, her tears soaking though my white shirt.

'Hey, it's ok, he's gone' I whisper to her, tightening my arms around her shoulders. I look up to see Sam standing there, frozen with the gun still in it's firing position.

'Sam' I call gently, 'It's ok. You did nothing wrong' I reassure him. My heart goes out to him, he must only be what, 18/19. He's still a kid, and he's just delivered the fatal shot that ended a man's life. I know that he'll be feeling guilty, and will be disgusted with himself for a while, it's only natural when you've ended someone's life, even if that person is someone as notoriously evil as Puckerman. I feel Santana squirm in my arms as she pulls back to look at me. I look down into her brown eyes, and amongst the tears and fear, there's hope and gratitude.

'you saved my life' she chokes out, more tears forming in her eyes. 'If you hadn't have come tonight, and Sam hadn't have shot him, I'd still be trapped. The only way I'd be able to get away from Puck would be in a body bag, and…after so long with him, I was seriously ready to consider that, so…thank you' She finishes, a small smile gracing her lips. I smile gently, trying desperately to form a reply in my head when she presses her lips to mine. When she pulls back, I look over to Sam, who is still deathly white, to find hi staring at us in shock.

'Um…I…' he stutters, unable to form a coherent sentence.

'Sam I…' I start to whisper quietly, however the boy runs from the room, not giving a second glance back.

'Sam!' I call after him desperately. I sigh, knowing that the young boy isn't going to want to speak neither me nor Santana again, and strangely enough, I feel for her more than I do me. Tonight she's lost the safety and security of being the first lady of one of the most dangerous and famous gangs in all of Lima, and now she's most probably just lost her job here at the bar, and what appears to be a good friend. I look down at her to find that she's still smiling, and even though it doesn't quite reach her eyes, I know it's genuine.

'Leave him, he'll be ok' she reassures me, pulling me in for another searing kiss.


End file.
